Will Congress Go Green?

In May, the U.S. House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming convened a hearing to discuss how green buildings can curb climate change and reduce energy costs.

Chairman Edward Markey (D-MA) observed in his opening statement that the building sector is responsible for up to 48% of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions and noted that some cities like Boston--which attributes 78% of its greenhouse gas emissions to buildings--are even higher. He noted that only 7% of participants in a recent survey identified buildings as a major source of emissions. This hearing was intended to change that perception.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom also testified at the hearing, detailing San Francisco's recent adoption of the most aggressive green building standards of any major American city and recommending the reauthorization of the renewable tax credit to encourage the use of renewable energy systems and shifting taxes from jobs to pollution, both of which would provide financial incentives for green buildings.

Other witnesses included Michelle Moore, Senior Vice President and Market Development for the U.S. Green Building Council; Edward Norton, an actor and trustee of the Enterprise Foundation which works to bring green building practices to low-income housing development; Kent Peterson, President of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); and Tony Stall, Vice President of Marketing for Dryvit Systems Inc., a corporation working to improve the efficiency of buildings with an energy efficient insulation system on the exterior of buildings.

While many experts believe that the private sector needs to be on board to really drive green building, many also applaud the federal government for setting forth a baseline or minimum standards of resource and energy efficiency policies and legislation to nurture the "ecosystem" of green building.